Chiiz Volume 8 : Street Photography
This issue from Chiiz is dedicated to Street Photography. With Vineet Vohra as our guest editor, we have shared some amazing stories totally different from the mainstream concepts. The streets, they say, ain’t just for anybody. It’s true that we all roam about in those streets everyday, walking down the same lanes a hundred times and yet we don’t see what is right in front of us. As street photographers, we try to capture human engagement, as the moments unfold around us.
This issue from Chiiz is dedicated to Street Photography. With Vineet Vohra as our guest editor, we have shared some amazing stories totally different from the mainstream concepts. The streets, they say, ain’t just for anybody. It’s true that we all roam about in those streets everyday, walking down the same lanes a hundred times and yet we don’t see what is right in front of us. As street photographers, we try to capture human engagement, as the moments unfold around us.
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一 䤀 䬀 伀 一 䔀 堀 倀 䔀 刀 䤀 䔀 一 䌀 䔀 娀 伀 一 䔀<br />
䌀 䄀 倀 䤀 吀 䄀 䰀<br />
䔀 匀 匀 䬀 䄀 夀 䔀 一 吀 䔀 刀 倀 刀 䤀 匀 䔀 匀<br />
匀 䠀 伀 倀 一 伀 ⴀ 㐀 Ⰰ 嘀 䤀 䬀 䄀 匀 匀 唀 刀 夀 䄀 匀 䠀 伀 倀 倀 䤀 一 䜀 䴀 䄀 䰀 Ⰰ 䴀 䄀 一 䜀 䄀 䰀 䄀 䴀 倀 䰀 䄀 䌀 䔀 Ⰰ 匀 䔀 䌀 吀 伀 刀 アパートⰀ 刀 伀 䠀 䤀 一 䤀 Ⰰ 䐀 䔀 䰀 䠀 䤀 ⴀ 㠀 㔀<br />
⬀ 㤀 ⴀⴀ 㐀 㜀 アパートアパート 㠀 㜀 㜀 ⬀ 㤀 ⴀ 㤀 㠀 㤀 㤀 ㈀ 㜀 㜀 攀 猀 猀 欀 愀 礀 攀 渀 琀 攀 爀 瀀 爀 椀 猀 攀 猀 挀 瀀 䀀 礀 愀 栀 漀 漀 ⸀ 挀 漀 洀
THOSE WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE<br />
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LAWS. IT IS FORBIDDEN TO COPY THE MATERIAL OR RESELL IN ANY FORM WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE ARTIST. ALL PRODUCT NAMES, TRADEMARKS, LOGOS,<br />
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IN ANY FORM. READER'S DISCRETION IS ADVISED. FOR ANY FURTHER DETAILS VISIT US CHIIZ.COM OR WRITE TO MAGAZINE@CHIIZ.COM. PUBLISHED BY MANSA INC.<br />
CONTENT PROVIDED BY CHIIZ.COM.
Editorial<br />
Vineet Vohra<br />
Prakhar Garg<br />
Chief Visualizer<br />
Sheetal Mann<br />
Design<br />
Priyashi Negi<br />
Yasmeen Sheikh<br />
Analysis<br />
Prateek Kashyap<br />
Noopur Sharma<br />
Writer<br />
Shreeja Chaterjee<br />
Dipanwita Nath<br />
Karishma Rana<br />
Ankit Tyagi<br />
Sana Singh<br />
Simran Aggarwal<br />
Vishakha Jha<br />
Technology<br />
Sachin Arora<br />
Rishabh Jain<br />
Bharat Bhushan<br />
Aditya Baghel<br />
Business Development<br />
Rajesh Basu<br />
Amit Ghosh<br />
Dimas Fajar<br />
Sales<br />
Krishna Srinivas<br />
Amit Gupta<br />
Marketing<br />
Kanika Maurya<br />
Anurag Khaneja<br />
Public Relations<br />
Barkha Chandra<br />
Staff Photographer<br />
Susana Gomez<br />
Tarundeep Singh<br />
Urshita Saini<br />
Finance<br />
Neelu Singh<br />
Consultant<br />
Apratim Saha<br />
Mansa Inc.<br />
CEO<br />
Mukesh Kumar<br />
Cover Photo<br />
Sasikumar Ramachandran<br />
“Have no fear of perfection - you’ll never reach it” -<br />
Salvador Dali<br />
These are the words which I always keep in mind<br />
when shooting on the streets. Speaking of perfection<br />
in <strong>Street</strong> <strong>Photography</strong>, is in fact a misnomer as<br />
compared to any other genre of photography. The<br />
streets, they say, ain’t just for anybody. It’s true that<br />
we all roam about in those streets everyday, walking<br />
down the same lanes a hundred times and yet we<br />
don’t see what is right in front of us. As street<br />
photographers, we try to capture human engagement, as the moments unfold<br />
around us.<br />
There’s a whole world right in front of our eyes and more often than not, we fail to<br />
see it. All we do is, walk on the sidewalks while the dramatic wonders keep happening<br />
on the streets.<br />
In this issue, we are letting you explore an avenue that is very vast and the<br />
photographers have just only scratched the surface of what is street photography. I<br />
am always confused when someone asks me what street photography actually is. I<br />
mean, I am accustomed to the term, but who am I to say something about a thing<br />
that speaks for itself and we, as a part of the photography fraternity, have only<br />
interpreted some of the lessons while we have the whole library lying untouched.<br />
When we get out in a street or a lane, there are so many things that happen, not just<br />
around us, but to us. And I am sure that every single endeavor has changed me a bit,<br />
no matter how or when. It has instilled in me to be aware of and be a part of my<br />
environment at every single moment.<br />
<strong>Street</strong>s in India and around the world are essentially the same but what is it that<br />
makes your photograph stand out? Just close your eyes for a second and question<br />
yourself “why do u take pictures” & “what do you want to convey” and you’ll have all<br />
the answers.<br />
Capturing something that has always been there but been missing from the view is<br />
the real deal. Arindam Thokder’s series ‘Vanishing Phone’, for instance, is an<br />
exceptional piece of work in the light of very common things that we tend to<br />
overlook.<br />
Works of Kevin Horn, Chuck Jines, and Arindam Mukherjee are the examples of a<br />
very new art form which gets better and better with every page. The story of Vicky<br />
Roy is something that takes it to a whole other level. Vicky has such a talent and his<br />
work has been a major source of inspiration for many upcoming photographers.<br />
To conclude, I would share that in any image there are two subjects, the photographer<br />
and the viewer, you don’t shoot what you see, you shoot what you want your viewers<br />
to see. These images had a touch of the photographer’s own self as they tried not<br />
to make a photograph but simply an extension of themselves with the play of<br />
geometry, postures and the use of light, aesthetically handled.<br />
Regards,<br />
Vineet Vohra<br />
EDITORIAL
CONTENTS<br />
Vanishing Phone<br />
By Arindam Thokder<br />
The 5 O’Clock Club<br />
Kevin Horn<br />
12<br />
16<br />
The Other Eye-Witness<br />
Kaushal Parikh<br />
32<br />
<strong>Chiiz</strong> Gallery<br />
Photos from chiiz.com<br />
38<br />
Gear Review-The Beast is Here<br />
Fujifilm X-T2<br />
48<br />
Tips and Tricks<br />
<strong>Street</strong> <strong>Photography</strong><br />
56<br />
Predator on the Prowl<br />
Arindam Mukherjee<br />
66<br />
Movie Review<br />
Proof (1991)<br />
70<br />
Home <strong>Street</strong> Home<br />
Vicky Roy<br />
76<br />
Old is Gold<br />
The Burning Monk-Malcolm Browne<br />
80<br />
Marvels of the Time Frame<br />
Esa Ibrahim<br />
81<br />
Sheela Tiruchi<br />
Model of the Month<br />
87<br />
Makeup Artist of the Month<br />
Kalpesh Joshi<br />
Art, not Vulgarity<br />
Jeet Mukerji<br />
91<br />
95
Viju Jose is an IT professional from India, a<br />
passionate and hobbyist photographer. He<br />
practices Nature and Wildlife <strong>Photography</strong> since<br />
the last five years.<br />
Tips from the master:<br />
• Get a detailed study done about the subject, prior to shooting.<br />
• Wait for the subject to approach a well lit spot, in order to avoid<br />
underexposed shots.<br />
• Get as near to the subject as possible depending on the focal<br />
length of the lens used, without disturbing the animal’s natural<br />
habitat and life style.<br />
• Gear reference: A prime lens on a full frame camera with an SD<br />
card faster than 100MBPS can be used as a wildlife photography<br />
camera.<br />
• While post processing, retain the originality of colors of the<br />
species.<br />
• Keep a record of the species like its behaviour, location<br />
where spotted etc. which can later on provide some valuable<br />
information to future researchers.<br />
Malabar Giant Squirrel Western Ghats, India<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 500mm F/5.6 1/200s ISO800<br />
After feeding raptors clean their beaks by rubbing them on their perch. This Crested Hawk Eagle<br />
had just finished feeding on its kill and we can see its blood stained talons too. Bandipur, India<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 500mm F/4 1/1600s ISO1600<br />
A cheetah and its cub were aproached too closely by a Black-backed Jackal, what followed was a chase during which<br />
several times the Jackal was knocked off to the ground. The Jackal also being a carnivore defended itself and you can see in<br />
this particular second, a brief face to face encounter between the two. It was a true wildlife moment. Masai Mara, Kenya.<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 500mm F/5.6 1/2500s ISO400
Leopard resting in its habitat. This view will give a good idea of the dimensions involved<br />
and we normaly don’t get to see in the usual closeup shots. Masai Mara, Kenya<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 100mm F/4.5 1/8000s ISO1250
Little Owls in love Qatar<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 285mm F/8 1/3200s ISO400<br />
Little Owl Qatar<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 500mm F/8 1/5000s ISO400<br />
Bare-faced go-away-bird. Masai Mara, Kenya<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 700mm F/5.6 1/1600s ISO800<br />
Northern Lapwing Qatar<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 700mm F/5.6 1/1250s ISO640<br />
Flying away after feeding on a bird kill. It is adapted to taking prey in the air and can achieve a speed of<br />
240 kmh in level flight and when diving after prey it can exceed speeds of 320 kmh. Masinagudi, India<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 1000mm F/14 1/2000s ISO2000
VANISHING PHONE<br />
Omnipresent<br />
Canon EOS 350D 17mm F/7.1 1/200s ISO200<br />
Arindam Thokder<br />
Arindam Thokder is a<br />
Bangalore based street<br />
photographer with a keen<br />
sense of contrast and<br />
color. His main interests are<br />
documenting social issues,<br />
charitable aid, travel and<br />
Indian culture. But it is street<br />
photography that inspires him the most. Arindam<br />
is a part of International <strong>Photography</strong> Collective<br />
“Vivo”.<br />
Presenting the omnipresent yellow public<br />
phone- drop a coin and it is at your<br />
service! When I moved to Bangalore in 2005,<br />
without a local number to make calls on,<br />
I was dependent on the yellow phone for<br />
communication. So was my wife, who used<br />
these phones to call me whenever she ran<br />
out of mobile prepaid limit. With the mobile<br />
phone revolution and its easy affordability,<br />
everyone has at least one mobile phone now –<br />
and sometimes even more. The mobile phone<br />
by Arindam Thokder<br />
certainly draws a curtain over the yellow<br />
pay-phone’s future. Shop keepers who made<br />
an easy Rs 250 to Rs 300 in coins each day,<br />
inform me that the income is now a trickle.<br />
Even Rs 20 to 30 a day is a miracle on the<br />
service. One notices them vanishing from<br />
places where they were the landmarks. I<br />
decided to document this swiftly disappearing<br />
phenomenon and life around pay phones,<br />
before they vanish from the landscape of<br />
urban life completely.<br />
Doing the Needful<br />
Canon EOS 60D 17mm F/3.5 1/50s ISO200<br />
Changing Times<br />
Canon EOS 350D 17mm F/10 1/400s ISO100
Irrelevant Time Frames<br />
Canon EOS 350D 17mm F/9 1/400s ISO100<br />
Old’s Man Play<br />
Canon EOS 350D 17mm F/11 1/500s ISO200<br />
Ignorance<br />
Canon EOS 350D 17mm F/7.1 1/200s ISO100<br />
Yellow Warning<br />
Canon EOS 350D 17mm F/10 1/400s ISO100<br />
In the Shadows<br />
Canon EOS 60D 17mm F/8 1/320s ISO200
One Last Glance<br />
Canon EOS 350D 17mm F/11 1/500s ISO200<br />
Gone with the Wind<br />
Canon EOS 350D 17mm F/11 1/500s ISO100
Bus Silhouette<br />
Film Camera<br />
Old Man Reflected Light<br />
Film Camera<br />
Bus Stop Lines<br />
Film Camera<br />
Details<br />
Film Camera<br />
The 5 o’ Clock<br />
Club<br />
By Kevin Horn<br />
Kevin Horn is a Cinematographer from Saint<br />
Paul, MN, USA. He got his start making<br />
skateboarding videos with his friends in<br />
high school, and has since went on to shoot<br />
several feature films, music videos, and<br />
commercials for brands like Target, Fiat, 3M,<br />
and more. Kevin has self-published three<br />
photo books and has most recently started<br />
a quarterly skateboarding magazine. When<br />
Kevin’s not shooting movies, skateboarding,<br />
or searching the streets for reflected light,<br />
he’s printing in his own studio.<br />
Project Statement: Kevin Horn created ‘The<br />
5 O’Clock Club’ while settling into his new<br />
apartment downtown St. Paul, MN, USA. The<br />
new surroundings of the downtown business<br />
district, combined with the harsh winter<br />
conditions, inspired dramatic imagery. ‘The 5<br />
O’Clock Club’ is an exploration of the 9-5 culture<br />
outside of the office. The work interprets the dayto-day<br />
monotony of office workers in a dystopian<br />
manner. The first edition of this monograph is<br />
12” x 10.25”, 100 pages, hardcover wrapped in<br />
Iris Cloth, custom brass die white foil stamp,<br />
printed on Sterling 64lb cover stock at Quantum<br />
Graphics in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The body<br />
of work contains 52 images.<br />
This body of work was shot all on Kodak Tri-X<br />
400 film on a Nikon F.<br />
16 Vol 8
Big Hair<br />
Film Camera<br />
Tunnel Walkers<br />
Film Camera
Girl Running<br />
Film Camera<br />
Heel<br />
Film Camera<br />
Wall Shadow<br />
Film Camera<br />
Reflection Silhouettes<br />
Film Camera
Springtail<br />
Canon EOS 7D 65mm F/5 1/250s ISO100<br />
Huub de Waard is a Dutch wildlife photographer who<br />
specializes in insect macro photography. He photographs very<br />
small invertebrates, so close-up that they are transformed<br />
into large subjects. Through his images, he aims to highlight<br />
the different characteristics of a variety of species and their<br />
individual charm.<br />
He does not apply focus stacking and all of his pictures are<br />
single images made in his own garden. His work can be found<br />
at huubdewaardmacros.com.<br />
Juvenile Grasshopper<br />
Canon EOS 7D 65mm F/11 1/250s ISO100<br />
Green Shield Bug<br />
Canon EOS 7D 65mm F/14 1/250s ISO100
Male Brimstone butterfly<br />
Canon EOS 7D 65mm F/14 1/250s ISO100<br />
Portrait Common Yellow Dung-fly<br />
Canon EOS 7D 65mm F/6.3 1/250s ISO100
Green Shield Bug<br />
Canon EOS 7D 65mm F/14 1/250s ISO100
Sayan Raha is a street photographer from<br />
India. According to him, he feels life in the<br />
streets. He has been into this genre from last<br />
three to four years. Some of his favourite street<br />
photographers are Eric Kim (Japan), Raghu<br />
Rai (India), and GMB Akash (Bangladesh).<br />
He uses a Motorola Xplay Mobile and Canon<br />
1200D with 50mm prime lens for photography.<br />
Devi Durga in Taxi<br />
Canon 1200D 50mm F/9 1/10s ISO400<br />
Aharitola Theatre Para<br />
Canon 1200D 50mm F/8 1/6s ISO100<br />
Auto Rickshaw in Aharitola<br />
Canon 1200D 50mm F/8 1/6s ISO100<br />
Hand Pulled Rickshaw<br />
Canon 1200D 50mm F/8 1/6s ISO100
Holi in Kolkata<br />
Canon 1200D 50mm F/3 1/500s ISO100
Takumi Kaizaki<br />
Tokyo, Japan<br />
Waiting Game<br />
PENTAX K-5 10mm F/5.6 1/125s ISO200
Takumi Kaizaki<br />
Tokyo, Japan<br />
Mr. Einstein<br />
PENTAX K-5 10mm F4 1/125s ISO100
D.K. Pattnayak is<br />
a self taught and a<br />
passionate Indian<br />
photographer based<br />
in Bhubaneswar,<br />
Odisha, India. Most<br />
of his works depict<br />
visually compelling<br />
and well composed<br />
candid moments of<br />
the everyday lifestyle around the streets<br />
that highlights humanity, culture and<br />
traditions. His work has been awarded,<br />
recognized and published by many<br />
popular International & National forums<br />
such as National Geographic, NatGeo<br />
Traveller India, Canon India, Smart<br />
<strong>Photography</strong>, Creative Image, Camarena<br />
Academy, <strong>Street</strong> <strong>Photography</strong> India and<br />
many popular platforms.<br />
Mankind in Summer<br />
Canon EOS 700D 10mm F/8 1/30s ISO400<br />
Making of a Photograph<br />
Canon EOS 700D 17mm F/8 1/50s ISO100<br />
<strong>Street</strong> Fun<br />
Canon EOS 700D 18mm F/8 1/80s ISO200<br />
Leading Lines<br />
Canon EOS 700D 10mm F/8 1/30s ISO200
Devil Photo<br />
Canon EOS 700D 10mm F/8 1/200s ISO100
The Other<br />
Eye-Witness<br />
Kaushal Parikh<br />
<strong>Photography</strong> for me is an accessible craft that<br />
has the potential to do wonders. Walking<br />
through the streets with a camera in hand has<br />
always been my incessant ardour even before I<br />
discovered the existence of street photography (which,<br />
today I forechoose to call “life” photography). My<br />
interest and fascination towards versatility of people and<br />
their lifestyle have always kept me spirited and led into<br />
hours of scouring the streets looking for spellbinding<br />
moments. For me, it’s like daydreaming with a camera,<br />
capturing the most unsullied moments in a blink of an<br />
eye.<br />
While most of my professional work deals with travel<br />
and documentary photography, life photography is<br />
what I find the most challenging. I suppose that is<br />
because of the uncertainty associated with capturing<br />
candid moments; even more so in a crowded city like<br />
Mumbai where I live. The un-choreographed mayhem<br />
of shambolic city makes shooting as difficult as it is<br />
exciting. Isolating special moments amidst the chaos is<br />
a honed talent and requires a trained eye with hours of<br />
practice. While initially daunting, and often frustrating,<br />
street photography wears you down. But once you taste<br />
success, the streets just suck you in.<br />
Capturing good images in the Himalayas or on the<br />
pristine beaches of the Caribbean is not so testing if<br />
you do your homework and park yourself in the right<br />
place at the right time. But no amount of homework<br />
can guarantee a successful image in the street (although<br />
having said that, a bit of anticipation does help).<br />
Life photography does not earn my entire keep today but<br />
I think if I succeed in seizing breathtaking moments that<br />
document a certain way of life, these images may gain in<br />
value about twenty years down the line. So I choose to<br />
shoot as often as I can in an effort to keep my portfolio<br />
updated, which if I am lucky, will someday compliment<br />
my pension fund!<br />
Concrete Dreams<br />
Film Camera
Jumping Right In<br />
Film Camera<br />
Sharing is Caring<br />
Film Camera
Ideal Figure<br />
Film Camera<br />
The Better Half<br />
Film Camera
Wrong Smells<br />
Film Camera<br />
Lost in the Rain<br />
Film Camera
Nadine Greeff<br />
Capetown, South Africa<br />
Smokey Charred Sweetcorn<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 70mm F/16 2.5s ISO100
Nadine Greeff<br />
Capetown, South Africa<br />
Winter Harvest<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 63mm F/16 2.5s ISO100<br />
Nadine Greeff<br />
Capetown, South Africa<br />
Sweet Pies<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 63mm F/14 2.0s ISO100<br />
Nadine Greeff<br />
Capetown, South Africa<br />
Fried Meatballs<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 57mm F/16 1/2s ISO100<br />
Nadine Greeff<br />
Capetown, South Africa<br />
Spice Still Life<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 70mm F/16 0.8s ISO100
Sarang Naik<br />
Mumbai, India
CHIIZ GALLERY<br />
Source: chiiz.com<br />
Sweet Blurry Thoughts<br />
Canon EOS 750D 11mm F/2.8 1.3s ISO800
Vladimire Manuel Lapuz<br />
Dubai, UAE<br />
Art of Fulfilling<br />
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 13mm F/11 1/220s ISO200<br />
Abi M. Pulikeezh<br />
Bangalore, India<br />
Kabuliwala<br />
Canon EOS 600D 50mm F/2.8 1/500s ISO200
Raju Das<br />
West Bengal, India<br />
I am Myself<br />
Canon EOS 1200D 50mm F/2.2 1/25s ISO200<br />
Ritagnik Bhattacharya<br />
Kolkata, India<br />
Flying Ideas<br />
FUJIFILM X-T1 18mm F/7.1 1/125s ISO1000
Saptarshi Choudhury<br />
Kolkata, India<br />
Sunshine<br />
Canon EOS 600D 29mm F/4.5 1/320s ISO100<br />
Debiprasad Mukherjee<br />
New Delhi, India<br />
Truth Beyond Myths<br />
NIKON D7000 12mm F/4 1/500s ISO200
Sudhir Bhajanehatti<br />
Mumbai, India<br />
Indian Air Force<br />
NIKON D90 380mm F/8 1/4000s ISO800
Abdul Momin<br />
Rajshahi, Bangladesh<br />
Miles to go<br />
NIKON D7200 180mm F/5.3 1/1250s ISO400
Umbrella Walk<br />
Redmi Note 4 4mm F/2 1/33s ISO160<br />
Avishek Das is an india born Photographer.<br />
He is the Chairman of Creative Art Solution<br />
- A Registered <strong>Photography</strong> Club of India<br />
under Federation of Indian <strong>Photography</strong> &<br />
Liason Officer of Master of Light Photographic<br />
Association for Asia and India.<br />
His photographs and writings have been published in different Websites<br />
and Photo competition in national and International level (Italy, France,<br />
Argentina, Serbia, Romania, Wales, Greece, Canada, China, Bosnia,<br />
Malaysia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Macedonia, Turkey, UK, Bangladesh,<br />
Slovakia, UAE, Indonesia), National Geographic India and US Edition<br />
(35 Times), 1X.com, Vogue, Dodho Magazine, Asian <strong>Photography</strong>,<br />
Better <strong>Photography</strong>, 121 Clicks, SHADES of GREY Magazine France,<br />
CreativeImage and many more.<br />
Thirsty<br />
NIKON D7000 18mm F/6.3 1/160s ISO500<br />
His significant achievements are - Grand Winner of Ariano Film<br />
Festival Italy (Digital Photo Category), ICICI Bank Privilege Moments<br />
Zonal Category Winner (India), Asian <strong>Photography</strong> Artistique Special<br />
Mention Award (India), Metropolis Asia Runner Up Award - <strong>Street</strong> Photo<br />
Category, Finalist in HIPA Award and Siena International Photo Award,<br />
Silver Medal Winner in Px3 Paris Global Photo Award, National Award<br />
Winner- Sony World <strong>Photography</strong> Award , Merit and Honor Award in<br />
Golden Orchid International Art Festival USA 2017. He has also been<br />
Rated World No 1 Top Exhibitor by Photographic Society of America’s<br />
Who’s Who in <strong>Photography</strong> Book 2016 - Photo Journalism Section.<br />
Instagram: @avishekdasphotography<br />
Playmates<br />
NIKON D7000 22mm F/3.5 1/13s ISO100<br />
46 Vol 8
Eid City<br />
NIKON D750 24mm F/22 1/25s ISO280
The Beast is Here: FUJIFILM XT2<br />
Reviewed by Raj Sarkar for Fujifilm<br />
Raj Sarkar is a finance<br />
personnel with<br />
Airports Authority of<br />
India and a photographer by<br />
passion. He enjoys travelling<br />
& documenting street life.<br />
His photographs has won several awards and<br />
have been published by several agencies like<br />
National Geographic, APF magazine, Asian<br />
<strong>Photography</strong>, Smart <strong>Photography</strong>, Creative<br />
Magazine, <strong>Street</strong>photography (USA), World <strong>Street</strong><br />
<strong>Photography</strong>, fujilove.com, Fujilove Magazine,<br />
HIPA and many more. Raj is one of the curators<br />
(Admin) of APF Magazine street photography<br />
facebook group, member of In-street collective<br />
and the founder of World Photographic Forum.<br />
Since its release, XT2 has become a very<br />
popular mirror-less camera in the market.<br />
It was really pleasing to hold it. Certainly,<br />
the expectation was very high as XT2 is<br />
one of Fujifilm’s flagship cameras. Fujifilm<br />
has made some significant changes from its<br />
predecessors XT1, which is really fruitful to<br />
the users of Fuji X system. I would like to<br />
share my experience and will talk about the<br />
new features included in XT2.<br />
The following are the important features and<br />
specifications:<br />
• 24.3MP X-Trans CMOS III APS-C<br />
sensor - Produces an outstanding image<br />
quality with great dynamic range and<br />
accurate colour rendition.<br />
• X-Processor Pro image processing<br />
engine - This engine is almost 4 times<br />
faster than the previous model. Builtin-memory<br />
has been increased along<br />
computation power that helps X-Trans<br />
CMOS III sensor to respond much faster<br />
thus significant improvement can be<br />
noticed. The vertical power booster grip<br />
VPB-XT2 which holds two extra battery<br />
also helps to improve AF speed, shooting<br />
interval, shutter time lag, start-up time,<br />
continuous shooting, EVF refresh rate.<br />
Black out time reduces significantly in its<br />
boost mode.<br />
• Body built - Magnesium alloy body is<br />
sealed against dust, moisture.<br />
• EVF - XT2 offers very high resolution<br />
real time electronic viewfinder which<br />
provides spot on colour reproduction<br />
and replicates exact same information<br />
from LCD screen.<br />
• Video - XT2 offers an outstanding 4K<br />
high definition video recording facility<br />
and the best part of its is Film simulation<br />
modes are available during video<br />
recording. This is certainly an extra<br />
option for the creative people around.<br />
• Auto focus - XT2 offers fastest and<br />
accurate autofocus in recent times.<br />
Improved AF performance can be<br />
noticed in key phases like eye detection,<br />
low contrast subject, moving object,<br />
Zone focusing, etc and brilliant AF-C<br />
custom setting which allows users to<br />
choose from 5 presets of moving subject<br />
and it tracks down accurately and For<br />
me one of the interesting AF-C custom<br />
preset is how it can ignore obstacle while<br />
tracking a subject. It has 325 autofocus<br />
system.<br />
• Operability - Key operation like<br />
shutter speed, ISO sensitivity, exposure<br />
compensation, drive modes and<br />
metering modes can be easily control<br />
with mechanical dials with lock and<br />
release button while shooting.<br />
• Storage - There are two slots for<br />
memory cards (compatible with UHS-II<br />
standards). You can store RAW file and<br />
jpeg files separately in two slots. This can<br />
also be used for sequential recording.<br />
• LCD Screen - LCD screen helps to<br />
capture low and high angle shots. Users<br />
can tilt in three direction as per their<br />
need.<br />
• Shutter Speed - Maximum shutter speed<br />
1/8000 and minimum 30 secs. It also<br />
supports an ultra-fast, silent-operating<br />
electronic shutter with a maximum<br />
speed of 1/32,000 sec which allows user<br />
to shoot on a bright sunlight with wide<br />
aperture.<br />
• Joystick - XT2 features a joystick just<br />
below the Q button which you can<br />
navigate any direction to control focus<br />
points and also to control various menus.<br />
• Weight - 507 gms (with battery)<br />
• ISO - Normal ISO sensitivity 200-12800<br />
and Boost High ISO sensitivity (25600-<br />
51200)<br />
My style relies on my subjects staying relaxed,<br />
which is hard to do when there’s a massive<br />
DSLR staring you in the face. People tend to<br />
become stiff and behave unnaturally. In either<br />
case, the mood and charm of the moment<br />
is lost. I don’t like having to rely on deep<br />
menus, so when I picked up my first Fujifilm<br />
X camera, the dials and overall handling of<br />
the camera felt just right and Fuji has been<br />
by my side ever since. I’m presently shooting<br />
with an X-T2, X100F and X-E2 with two of<br />
Fujifilm’s great prime lenses: 14mm F/2.8 and<br />
the new 23mm F/2.0 and one zoom lens 18-<br />
135mm F/3.5. When it rains in India – and it<br />
rains in India! – it’s great to be able to bring<br />
out the weather-resistant X-T2 and 23mm<br />
and shoot away without worrying about my<br />
kit. I particularly find the Acros and Velvia<br />
film modes useful, and to state the obvious,<br />
the IQ has never let me down. For me it’s the<br />
best high end mirror-less camera available in<br />
the market.<br />
48 Vol 8
In search of Van Gough<br />
FUJIFILM X-T2 28mm F/22 1/8s ISO100<br />
Perceptives through Windows<br />
FUJIFILM X-T2 23mm F/9 1/500s ISO100
Alterego<br />
FUJIFILM X-T2 23mm F/8 1/200s ISO1000<br />
Celebrating Womanhood<br />
FUJIFILM X-T2 23mm F/11 1/250s ISO1000<br />
Equality among Charmers<br />
FUJIFILM X-T2 28mm F/20 1/250s ISO250<br />
Flying to destiny<br />
FUJIFILM X-T2 23mm F/16 1/250s ISO500<br />
Euphoria<br />
FUJIFILM X-T2 18mm F/9 1/250s ISO12800
The Balcony<br />
NIKON D200 85mm F/3.5 1/50s ISO100<br />
Prateek Dubey is a<br />
photographer, writer and<br />
an artist based in New<br />
Delhi, India. He is the most<br />
published photographer<br />
from the country on the<br />
prestigious 1X.com. His<br />
work has featured in the<br />
Guardian U.K, The Deccan<br />
Chronicle, The Hindu and N-Photo magazine besides<br />
various photography sites around the world. Writing has<br />
been his favourite form of expression for a long time. His<br />
first fantasy fiction novel, ‘The Disobedient Darkness’ has<br />
been a great success.<br />
He blogs (Prateek’s World), merging photography with<br />
storytelling on his experiences of life in India. Some of<br />
these photo essays have been featured in the Pioneer and<br />
Mail Today. He has also had a solo show of oil paintings at<br />
the Lalit Kala Academy in 2005.<br />
Prateek is a graduate of chemistry from the Delhi University<br />
and also a trained fashion designer from India’s premiere<br />
fashion institute, N.I.F.T.<br />
One Eyed King<br />
NIKON D700 24mm F/2.8 1/200s ISO200<br />
52 Vol 8
Conversations<br />
Nikon D700 24mm F/4.5 1/80 ISO200<br />
Beacon<br />
NIKON D700 24mm F/6.3 1/800s ISO800<br />
Om Click Click Baba<br />
NIKON D700 24mm F/6.3 1/320s ISO200<br />
Veerbahadur<br />
NIKON D700 14mm F/4 1/250s ISO200
Cooks<br />
NIKON D700 29mm F/3.5 1/30s ISO800<br />
Emergence<br />
FUJIFILM X100 23mm F/11 1/60s ISO640
<strong>Street</strong><br />
<strong>Photography</strong><br />
Sondha Aroti<br />
Canon EOS 5D 17mm F/5 1/5s ISO250<br />
Tips and Tricks by Apratim Saha<br />
Apparently nowadays the coolest genre<br />
in the segments of photography is<br />
<strong>Street</strong> <strong>Photography</strong> which celebrates<br />
the spontaneity. <strong>Street</strong> photography is one of<br />
the most unalloyed forms of photography, it<br />
aims to cease the most beautiful, subtle stories<br />
that happen around us every day. It can be<br />
termed as candid photography of lifestyle<br />
and human fallibility. Well, It’s a fast moving<br />
world out there and it takes a lot of practice to<br />
be able to capture it well.<br />
What is <strong>Street</strong> <strong>Photography</strong>?<br />
<strong>Street</strong> <strong>Photography</strong> portrays the human<br />
condition in public locations but it does not<br />
always have to be literally on the streets but<br />
can also be in an urban environment.<br />
What is the goal of <strong>Street</strong> <strong>Photography</strong>?<br />
The goal is to preserve history by capturing<br />
a moment. It can be candid or posed.<br />
Sometimes it can be called as a street portrait.<br />
There are two main goals associated-<br />
Social Documentary that aims to change or<br />
put a mark on history and Photojournalism.<br />
How to start <strong>Street</strong> <strong>Photography</strong>?<br />
Make your camera a part of YOU! Never go<br />
anywhere without the camera. You never<br />
know what situation is waiting for you so slow<br />
down and shoot.<br />
Where to go?<br />
Choose places where people interact and<br />
gather and time it when they are present. Do<br />
not hesitate before taking a street photograph.<br />
Just capture the moment and be your own<br />
master.<br />
What are the key factors of <strong>Street</strong><br />
<strong>Photography</strong>?<br />
• Framing<br />
• Composition<br />
• Timing<br />
• Light<br />
Ways to become a Master in <strong>Street</strong><br />
<strong>Photography</strong>.<br />
Practice makes you perfect! Over a period<br />
time your photography will improve. You’ll<br />
not only improve your techniques but also<br />
spot the things to focus upon on the street.<br />
Light is your best friend and your worst<br />
enemy. Try to use the sunlight and learn how<br />
to create great images in and against sunlight.<br />
What attitude will help you to get excellent<br />
shots?<br />
Talk to strangers- It is really important to<br />
connect well with your subjects to bring out<br />
their true self. As I’m into people photography<br />
I feel that the most important part about<br />
photographing a person is winning their trust<br />
and confidence. Being able to match one’s<br />
level to ensure a strong communication is<br />
what it takes to connect with people. Try to<br />
establish a communication with your subject,<br />
discuss what and why you are shooting. This<br />
will lead you to get the perfect shot.<br />
Perfect Moment- A lot of people ask me<br />
how I identify the perfect moment to take<br />
a photograph. Well, you are never sure of<br />
the perfect moment because you’re always<br />
looking and anticipating. So it’s your intuition<br />
and reflexes that guess the perfect moment!<br />
Disregard what other people think of you and<br />
focus on what you are shooting<br />
Smile often- By giving a simple smile you<br />
can gain the trust of your subject and make<br />
yourself comfortable.<br />
Ask for permission and be respectful- Yes<br />
asking for permission is a trick that helps<br />
while not shooting candid. And never forget<br />
to express gratitude.<br />
56 Vol 8
What will be your daily Homework?<br />
1. Stop comparing yourself to other<br />
photographers<br />
<strong>Photography</strong> is an art and you are the Master<br />
of your own art. It is important to develop<br />
your own style and fill a niche that sets<br />
you apart from the rest. So enjoy the work,<br />
embrace your talent and focus to cultivate.<br />
Remember, no-one chooses to become part<br />
of the crowd, it’s your work that brings your<br />
name in the public eye.<br />
2. Do not delete your photos randomly<br />
Do not delete your photos randomly, you may<br />
eventually find them interesting. Keep them<br />
for a while and analyze them repeatedly. Hold<br />
onto the photographs that you think could<br />
have been better and try to learn from your<br />
mistakes.<br />
3. Study one photographer’s work every day<br />
Select any photographer’s works that inspire<br />
you and indulge yourself in knowing about<br />
his bits of advice, tips, and photographs, it<br />
might broaden your own horizons. Enjoy<br />
your ride!<br />
4. Believe in your dreams<br />
No matter what don’t let the difficulty destroy<br />
your dreams. Choose growth over your fear<br />
and it will lead you to your dream. Remember<br />
that <strong>Photography</strong> is not a competition or it is<br />
not even a rank to fight for.<br />
5. Show your best shot<br />
Remember when it comes to street<br />
photography, each one of your shots may<br />
not be exquisite. You are going to take a lot<br />
of crappy photos in order to take the absolute<br />
ones. Show only your best shot. During the<br />
course of time, you have to learn how to<br />
choose your best shot for this you must share<br />
your shots with other photographers also<br />
and discuss their opinion also. By critically<br />
analyzing you’ll be able to select your best<br />
shot.<br />
Is it okay to take a stranger’s photograph<br />
without their consent?<br />
Legally, yes. Multiple court cases rule in<br />
favor of photographers. “The right to control<br />
one’s image must yield when a photography<br />
contributes to the exchange of ideas and<br />
opinions, deemed “Indispensable” to a<br />
democratic society.<br />
What is the perfect gear for street<br />
photography?<br />
I always say that you should never be<br />
handicapped of your camera. It’s not the<br />
camera who takes a photo, it’s you; you take<br />
the picture. It’s very important to visualize<br />
and identify the message that you want to<br />
express. Remember a camera is just a tool<br />
nothing more than that.<br />
There isn’t any perfect gear for street<br />
photography, but there are lots of gear that<br />
works wonderfully for street shooting. You<br />
can either work with inconspicuous gear as<br />
it doesn’t attract too much attention or be so<br />
friendly with your subjects so that they don’t<br />
pay attention to you.<br />
Cameras<br />
There is nothing wrong with working with<br />
DSLRs, but it’s good to match them with<br />
lenses that help you achieve the prime goal.<br />
Nowadays we have a great range of very good<br />
mirrorless cameras and Point and Shoots.<br />
If your budget permits then definitely you<br />
can go for the legendary Leica M Digital<br />
Rangefinder Cameras. Nikon D750, Canon:<br />
EOS-M3 Fujifilm X Series, Nikon 1 Series,<br />
Sony Alfa Series, Sony Cybershot DSC-<br />
RX100M Olympus PEN-F are some of the<br />
other options which are good for street<br />
shooting.<br />
Lenses<br />
I believe in this famous quote, ‘If your<br />
pictures aren’t good enough, you are not<br />
close enough’. My favorite focal length for<br />
people photography is 35mm. I go very<br />
close to my subjects while shooting them. If<br />
you go close then you have a big advantage<br />
is that you can connect with your subject<br />
easily. Anything from 24mm to 50mm will<br />
work wonderfully. A quality prime, of 35,<br />
50 or 85mm focal length, will serve you well<br />
for street photography, and should have nice<br />
wide apertures for low-light shooting. The<br />
thing here is to get a lens that is small enough<br />
to carry around and not intimidate people<br />
especially when you aim it to them.<br />
Apratim Saha<br />
apratim@chiiz.com<br />
Apratim Saha started photography at the<br />
age of twelve inspired by his father. Apratim<br />
is a contributing photographer of National<br />
Geographic Stock <strong>Photography</strong>, Getty<br />
Images and Stocksy United. He is a Brand<br />
Ambassador and Mentor for Tamron and<br />
Data Color.<br />
Handful of Blessing<br />
Canon EOS 5D 17mm F/4 1/125s ISO1600
In talks with Chuck Jines<br />
If you want to<br />
come across<br />
a strong headed<br />
person who<br />
is not afraid<br />
of expressing<br />
his view and<br />
opinion even<br />
if it’s against<br />
societal norms.<br />
One whose<br />
writings, video documentaries, blogs<br />
and fierce essays have created niche for<br />
themselves then your google search may lead<br />
you to meet CHUCK JINES. He works as a<br />
freelancer, because working and changing<br />
his opinion and quality of work to cater to<br />
someone suitability is not his trait. His choice<br />
of random photography at public places as<br />
an observer of human behaviour in public<br />
made him stand off masses. THIS is because<br />
he likes to study rational human behavioural<br />
pattern outside the constraints, theories and<br />
axioms of science. His vision varies from<br />
vast achievements of science to the threats of<br />
ignorance and superstition.<br />
Chuck Jines is a polemicist, freelance<br />
documentary street photographer,<br />
philosopher, intellectual activist, and writer.<br />
He covers news events, social events, and shares<br />
his street photography of Chicago’s people,<br />
places, and things. SIMRAN AGGARWAL<br />
from <strong>Chiiz</strong>, have interviewed him online on<br />
his successful career as photojournalist and<br />
his New Media programme. Here are the<br />
replies of the polemicist.<br />
You are much more than a human being.<br />
Being a writer, a photojournalist, an activist<br />
and a critic as well is not an easy job. How<br />
did you land in all these roles?<br />
I’d say my interest in philosophy naturally<br />
leads into these other areas. <strong>Photography</strong><br />
is just a tool for me. Many people consider<br />
photography to be an artform, but I don’t<br />
consider photography to be any such thing.<br />
For me, photography is a tool for capturing<br />
pre-given reality that can be used to convey<br />
a story or an idea. Writing is far more an<br />
artform, and much harder to use.<br />
I have a certain question in mind. When<br />
you are involved in journalism, be it of any<br />
kind, does the thinking of the person affects<br />
the topics or news he covers? If they do, is it<br />
right? Or what should be an alternative in<br />
such scenarios?<br />
Anyone involved in photojournalism brings<br />
their personal worldview with them, but not<br />
to the same degree. I’ve witnessed journalists<br />
totally ignoring what is actually happening,<br />
and only picking out things that will uphold<br />
their prior commitment to a narrative. The<br />
Trump Rally in Chicago comes to mind. I<br />
just could not believe the mainstream media<br />
was reporting that it was Trump supporters<br />
who were being violent. They must have went<br />
to a different Trump rally in some parallel<br />
universe. I do my best to be objective, and<br />
to honestly report the facts as they happen.<br />
Because of this approach, my positions on<br />
certain topics have changed during the course<br />
of my work.<br />
There are certain parts of photojournalism<br />
that are known to a man only when he<br />
steps out of his home without any strings<br />
attached. Can it be a reason of people<br />
All in Stride<br />
SONY SLT-A77V 16mm F/7.1 1/3200s ISO1600<br />
And at the Hour of Our Death<br />
NIKON D700 24mm F/4 1/160s ISO6400
Ozzy<br />
SONY SLT-A77V 16mm F/5.6 1/80s ISO1600<br />
not knowing the real news and taking<br />
everything so foolishly just because they are<br />
not made aware of certain circumstances?<br />
What does your initiative New Media is all<br />
about?<br />
The ‘New Media’ is partially in response to<br />
the propaganda that has been pumped out<br />
unchallenged for many years. The internet<br />
and social media have opened up the field to<br />
citizen journalism, which today poses a real<br />
threat to the establishment media, which has<br />
been controlled mostly by the left.<br />
Your closer to life videos are not driven by<br />
any specific genre of photography and out<br />
of the box blogs are from the day today life.<br />
The topic you choose are of relevance from<br />
general to classes. How does the specific<br />
title for blog or documentation of certain<br />
video strikes/inspire your mind?<br />
Reality itself inspires me, and the quest for the<br />
truth and knowledge are what drives me.<br />
Your freelance documentary projects are<br />
funded totally by the viewer’s donations/<br />
subscription. People do criticise you for<br />
your work as photographer too and that you<br />
ask for donation to fund your videos. What<br />
difference your film development video<br />
course and other renowned photographer`s<br />
courses have to make you stand out of<br />
league?<br />
While some of the funding comes from<br />
donations and subscriptions, I’ve actually<br />
spent more of my own money funding<br />
my projects. I don&t apply for grants. The<br />
world of photography and photojournalism<br />
is dominated by those on the political left.<br />
I am an Objectivist who holds traditional<br />
Enlightenment principles, this makes me<br />
stand out from the postmodern liberals of<br />
today. My work is far more fact-based.<br />
To quote George Orwell- Journalism is<br />
printing what someone else does not want<br />
printed: everything else is public relations.”<br />
you seems to be truly inspired by the words.<br />
The critic’s words are equally very well<br />
responded back on your blogs. Does this<br />
art of digesting promotes your inclination<br />
toward video which are more around the<br />
corner of life. The photography skills do get<br />
polished by what one come across in life or<br />
the photographers are born talented?<br />
My critics generally level some sort of<br />
personal attack, while I am usually simply<br />
presenting facts. My topics of homelessness,<br />
race relations, and heroin addiction do not fit<br />
the typical liberal narrative. This places me at<br />
odds with most of the photojournalism and<br />
documentary photography world. The Mike<br />
Brown story in Ferguson, Missouri is an<br />
example of printing what others did not want<br />
printed. Not only was this a fake news story,<br />
it opened my eyes to just how strong black<br />
on white racism has grown. When I got back<br />
to Chicago after my third trip down there, I<br />
spoke with a fellow street photographer about<br />
what I had discovered. I was told, if you say<br />
that, it will be a photography career ender.<br />
The left controls most of the photography and<br />
journalism world, to venture away from the<br />
stock narrative, is a game ender.<br />
As far as developing photography skills, like<br />
everything in life, you must have some inborn<br />
and natural talent to develop. You can’t make<br />
silk from a pig’s ear.<br />
Chuck’s work has been published by<br />
prominent news publications such as<br />
the BBC, The Daily Mail, The Guardian,<br />
New York Mag, and the fine-art magazine,<br />
Corridor Elephant. Chuck’s video work<br />
has been used by ABC News/Rock’n Robin<br />
Productions special on Hurricane Katrina.<br />
Chuck has also provided fixing services for<br />
CNN’s “This Is Life” with Lisa Ling, and<br />
has been invited to display his work at the<br />
Chicago History Museum. As well, Chuck has<br />
given presentations of his work at Chicago<br />
State University, and at DePaul University<br />
College of Communication.<br />
Simran Aggarwal<br />
simran@chiiz.com<br />
An IAS aspirant, she is tech savvy and a<br />
pleasure to catch up with. Content she<br />
furnishes is fully researched and eyecatching.<br />
An avid reader, she is good as a<br />
writer too.<br />
Vol 8<br />
59
Tony Alley Preacher Chicago 2015<br />
NIKON D700 28mm F/5.6 1/125s ISO800<br />
Alley- Lifea<br />
SONY SLT-A77V 30mm F/5.6 1/40s ISO800<br />
Ferguson Missouri November 25 2014<br />
NIKON COOLPIX P7800 18mm F3.2 1/250s ISO3200
Kallol Bhattacharjee<br />
Originally from Assam, Kallol<br />
Bhattacharjee has been a resident of<br />
Kolkata from the past 14 years now. Even<br />
though he is now working in the field of IT<br />
Sales and Marketing, street photography<br />
remains his number one passion. Having<br />
started his photography career in 2015,<br />
he has many laurels in photography, from<br />
around the world, to his name. Apart from<br />
street photography, he also has a keen<br />
interest in Travel photography, portraits<br />
and photo journalism.<br />
Iftaari Time<br />
NIKON D7000 11mm F/2.8 1/60s ISO100<br />
Smiling Against Atrocities<br />
NIKON D7000 35mm F/3.2 1/400s ISO100<br />
Modak Time<br />
NIKON D7000 11mm F/5 1/160s ISO100
Loading up the festival<br />
NIKON D750 24mm F/5 1/80s ISO100
Onion Patterns<br />
NIKON D7000 11mm F/3.5 1/125s ISO400<br />
Blessings for the Maker<br />
NIKON D7000 17mm F/3.5 1/200s ISO100
Walking down the Lane<br />
NIKON D7000 17mm F/7.1 1/320s ISO125<br />
Family Time<br />
NIKON D7000 32mm F/8 1/500s ISO100
Predator on<br />
the Prowl<br />
Arindam Mukherjee<br />
Arindam Mukherjee is a freelance<br />
photojournalist based in Kolkata,<br />
India. He started off as an advertising<br />
photographer in 1996 and has worked<br />
with reputed advertising agencies, fashion<br />
designers, graphic designers and NGOs<br />
ever since. His keen interest in street<br />
photography brought him to freelance<br />
photojournalism. He also teaches basic and<br />
advance photojournalism courses to aspiring<br />
photographers. VISHAKHA JHA from <strong>Chiiz</strong><br />
gets in talks with Arindam regarding his<br />
projects and Photojournalism as an option.<br />
<strong>Photography</strong> is a lucrative field of work,<br />
yet not opted by many people. So how<br />
did it all start and what led you pursue<br />
Photojournalism?<br />
I have always been interested in visuals, always<br />
Pugmarks of a tiger at the bank of a creek inside the<br />
deep forest of Sunderban, West Bangal, India. dec 2005.<br />
NIKON D70s18mm F/5 1/500s ISO100<br />
more interested in a new picture rather than<br />
the pages of a book. I began clicking pictures<br />
with my father’s old camera, a Pentax K1000,<br />
after he passed away. I joined a photography<br />
club, Photographic Association of Bengal,<br />
in 1996, where I learned more about how<br />
to view and appreciate pictures, and started<br />
doing street photography as it was more<br />
accessible and cheaper than other forms<br />
of photography. After a few years I started<br />
working as a photographer for advertising<br />
campaigns, NGOs, etc and later I got a<br />
chance to contribute to The Times of India<br />
as a freelancer. During this time, around<br />
2000, I attended a workshop conducted by<br />
the British Council of Calcutta, where the<br />
teachers were Mr. Shahidul Alam ( Director<br />
of Drik/Pathshala/Chobimela), Mr. Raghu<br />
Rai (member of Magnum Photo) and Mr.<br />
Neil Burghess (Ex-director of Magnum<br />
Photo, owner of NB Pictures) where I learned<br />
how to do story-telling photography. Then I<br />
slowly moved from producing single images<br />
to storytelling photography, and since 2001,<br />
I have been working as an independent<br />
photojournalist.<br />
What made you ponder to the idea of<br />
featuring the land of man-eating Tigers?<br />
What were the memories or experiences<br />
that you took back when you left the land of<br />
Sunderbans?<br />
Once I reached the Sunderbans, I found<br />
this whole community living on the edge<br />
of civilization, in close proximity to a forest<br />
infested with man-eating tigers. This unique<br />
position in their lifestyle makes them both<br />
iron-willed and also vulnerable at a certain<br />
point. These people have to repeatedly<br />
venture into the forest to sustain their<br />
livelihoods, and since the best resources are<br />
found in the core areas of the forest where<br />
the tigers are most likely to encounter them,<br />
it is a contest between man and wild which<br />
is sometimes won by the people, sometimes<br />
by the tigers. It is this struggle that made me<br />
want to document their lives in the forest.<br />
I never left the land of Sunderbans, I continue<br />
visiting the forests, and I will return to the<br />
place only next week. My most memorable<br />
experiences are the interactions with the<br />
community of simple hearted yet extremely<br />
courageous people. Sitting at the banks of<br />
Pokhiraloy (a village area) when I see the<br />
other side of the river, the forest of Sojnekhali<br />
(the land of tigers), I feel a sense of silent<br />
death.<br />
How would you describe your inclination<br />
towards street photography?<br />
My country is a complicated one with different<br />
cultures from different clans living together in<br />
the metropolitan areas, which gives you the<br />
experience of the nation called India. Though<br />
it might seem complicated, it is simple to us<br />
Indians and it is very interestingto capture a<br />
particular time and space in my film/sensor<br />
to define the particular moment of immense<br />
energy. Sometimes some pictures will tell you<br />
a thousand words, sometimes they are silent.<br />
But when somebody works in a diaristic form,<br />
and then later looks back to that particular<br />
diary, he will find that he has gathered so<br />
many experiences when he travelled the<br />
streets of his country.<br />
Wandering on the streets, interacting with<br />
people from different walks of life, you<br />
become more knowledgeable as a person and<br />
it grows on you when you sit back alone and<br />
think about those moments.<br />
an goes to work. Man gets killed by a tiger<br />
“M- dark reality of human life in the deep,<br />
rambling expanse of the Sunderbans forest where<br />
man-eating tigers terrorize every living soul. Since<br />
the last couple of years the attacks are on the rise.<br />
There is no shortage of theories as to why but that<br />
hardly helps the poor villagers living in the small<br />
villages tucked away at the edge of the forest.<br />
Horn-locked in a bloody struggle for survival man<br />
and the beast turn on each other.”
How do you decide what details to focus on when you capture such<br />
intricate human emotions inside the frames?<br />
It is very much an impromptu experience. I cannot tell you which<br />
detail I will focus on tomorrow in a particular area. It comes from<br />
an inner, intuitive understanding of that particular context of that<br />
image, which comes from experience. When you start respecting<br />
your subject, the subject starts respecting you back, and thus flow the<br />
emotions in between you and your subject.<br />
What advice or experience would you like to share with the newbie<br />
photographers?<br />
Try to be original; try to develop your own style of visual expression.<br />
Please do not try to imitate the masters. It is very important to express<br />
yourselves as an individual and everybody’s expressions are unique.<br />
Shoot regularly; try to understand your equipment - how to utilize it<br />
to the fullest; don’t carry heavy equipments which can tire you ; keep<br />
yourself strong and fit; move slow; think a lot, and please don’t rush<br />
through as if you are competing with others. It’s an art form, calmness<br />
is required.<br />
Villagers working as contract labourer for the foirest department. These men are putting nets along the border of the forest<br />
so that tigers cannot enter the villages. These labourers get 2 usd as wage. Sunderban, West Bangal, India. Dec 2005.<br />
NIKON D70s 34mm F/5 1/1000s<br />
He currently works as a freelance photojournalist for reputed<br />
newspapers, magazines and NGOs and have a bag full of laurels to<br />
show his expertise in the field.<br />
Vishakha Jha<br />
vishakha@chiiz.com<br />
Vishakha, 3/4 engineer, a dedicated learner and believer in magic of<br />
words and power of pronoia. She is bibliophilic and an explorer to a new<br />
Utopian world. Her main indulgence includes reading and travelling. She<br />
is zealous and believes in being her own version.<br />
Nirmal Gayen, 27, at his home with wife Anjana and son Abhijit. Anjana dons vermillion (symbol of marriage for traditional<br />
Hindu women) after return of her husband from the forest. It has become a custom due to fear among the forest<br />
goers wives that they cannot wear vermillion until their husbands come back. Sunderban, West Bangal, India. April 2011.<br />
NIKON D300 24mm F/3.2 1/80s ISO400<br />
Honey collectors of Sunderban sitting on a boat wearing masks before going inside the forest for honey collecting. These<br />
rubber masks are provided by the Sunderban Forest Department. It is believed that most man-eating Royal Bengal tigers<br />
attack from behind. So these masks are supposed to fool the tigers. Sunderban, West Bangal, India. April 2011<br />
NIKON D300 17mm F/2.8 1/1600s ISO400
In village after village across this region, there are similar tales of mourning, young widows whose husbands<br />
have been killed by the big cat. Here, a widow stands on the embankment at the back of her thatched house.<br />
NIKON D300 26mm F/2.8 1/200s ISO400<br />
Rabin Majumdar was attacked by tiger while at work inside the deep forest and miraculously<br />
could escape death. He used to collect honey, catch fish and crab from the creeks. After<br />
this incident he never dared to enter the forest. Sunderban, Dec 2005, West Bangal, India.<br />
NIKON D70s 27mm F/5.6 1/1250s ISO100
A boatman praying on his boat after coming out of<br />
the forest. Sunderban, West Bangal, India. Dec 2005.<br />
NIKON D70s 18mm F/3.5 1/50s ISO100<br />
A young girl catching prawn seed in a river.<br />
Sunderban, West Bangal, India.Dec 2005.<br />
NIKON D70s 70mm F/10 1/640s ISO100
Proof (1991)<br />
Movie Review<br />
Duration: 1hr 26mins<br />
IMDB Rating: 7.4/10<br />
Released: 1991<br />
Written and Directed: Jocelyn Moorhouse<br />
This deliciously enticing bit of cinema from Down Under revolves<br />
around the activities of three people: A mistrustful blind man, a<br />
desperate, love-hungry woman, a misguided young man, and what<br />
happens when these three paths intersect.<br />
Genevieve Picot, Russell Crowe and Hugo Weaving bring back a faint<br />
memory of The Dreamers, a classic rebellious movie with Eva Green.<br />
It is not that Proof has anything to do with nationalism or cultural<br />
rebellion, but each character in itself is fighting their own lives.<br />
Andy(Russell Crowe) takes an easier side on this but, Martin(Hugo<br />
Weaving) and Celia(Genevieve Picot) are something.<br />
The movie starts with a very beautiful set of photographs and unfolds<br />
as a blind man walks down the road. His way of walking says a lot<br />
about him, of his stubborn and rigid life and he chances to stumble<br />
upon a cat, almost killing him. That’s Hugo Weaving before the<br />
Matrix fame for you. His unshakable mistrust of humanity compels<br />
him to compulsively take photographs of everything around him. His<br />
paranoia is so deep rooted that he believed that his own mother lied to<br />
him in her descriptions of the world and he took a photo—his first—<br />
just to prove his point that his mother lied to him as a punishment for<br />
being blind.<br />
Celia’s character is something that gives this movie the place it holds.<br />
A woman, beautiful and strong in character, whose love for Martin has<br />
made her go past all her comforts. But their relationship is a prickly<br />
one, marked with cruelty and malice on both parts.<br />
Russell Crowe’s character of Andy is that of a loose and cool guy and he<br />
is well aware of the whole plot. Martin’s requirement of someone who<br />
can describe him his photographs is fulfilled by Andy, a dishwasher at<br />
a local restaurant. But when Andy threatens to become too great an<br />
influence in Martin’s life, Celia, feeling her territory has been violated,<br />
sets out to discredit Andy--using her sexuality to control both men.<br />
Although, as per Martin, he trusts Andy to describe his first photo to<br />
him, thus giving him the proof of his long dead mother’s love.<br />
Hugo Weaving has very convincingly portrayed Martin, a man who<br />
has built up walls around him so high to protect himself from any<br />
hurt that in the process, he has hindered his sensitivity to any sort of<br />
feeling.<br />
Genevieve Picot is equal parts brilliant, calculative and yet vulnerable<br />
in her part as the exquisite Celia. Russell Crowe takes the honest,<br />
easy going, guy next door act to another level through his on-screen<br />
charismatic presence that is extremely difficult to rival.<br />
Jocelyn Moorhouse, the director and writer of the film subtly draws the<br />
audience into the plot through her talent in understanding the human<br />
emotions and capturing them in film. The film does not depend on the<br />
storyline but is more fascinating because of who the characters are and<br />
what they portray.<br />
“Proof ” is a movie that could have so easily slipped in the category of<br />
another melodramatic theatrics but the film walks nimbly along the<br />
line, evading all potential traps for such a scenario. Most of the credit<br />
is due to agile script and the brilliant performances from the cast.<br />
Priyashi Negi<br />
priyashi@chiiz.com<br />
Trekking to the top of the hills through tiny little paths and between pines is<br />
nothing short of paradise for Priyashi. Books and poetry are her refuge. She<br />
is a foodie at heart and seems to be blessed with a sweet tooth and a love<br />
for all things cheese (pun-intended).<br />
70 Vol 8
The Real Superstar<br />
SONY DSC-RX100M3 9mm F/5.6 1/320s ISO1000<br />
Tourism beyond Reality<br />
SONY DSC-RX100M3 9mm F/8 1/80s ISO250<br />
The Babysitter<br />
SONY DSC-RX100M3 12mm F/2.8 1/125s ISO125<br />
Money Matters<br />
SONY DSC-RX100M3 9mm F/9 1/80s ISO800<br />
Sasikumar Ramachandran<br />
Sasikumar Ramachandran has spent his years<br />
capturing the streets, people and culture of<br />
Tamil Nadu, India, in a unique and creative way.<br />
He resides in Chennai and has garnered India’s<br />
prestigious National <strong>Photography</strong> Award. His<br />
work has been published in major print/online<br />
publications as well. He enjoys to wander<br />
and observe people on the streets and strives<br />
to transform the ordinary into something<br />
extraordinary and poetic. On the personal front,<br />
he is happily married with two kids.
Rings of Olympians<br />
SONY DSC-RX100M3 13mm F/8 1/160s ISO125<br />
Pattern Games<br />
SONY DSC-RX100M3 9mm F/5.6 1/640s ISO125
Frames in Frame<br />
FUJIFILM X-T2 18mm F/8 1/320s ISO1600<br />
Fluid Dancers<br />
SONY DSC-RX100M3 9mm F/9 1/200s ISO640
Ragpickers sleeping in the garbage store, New Delhi Railway Station<br />
Home <strong>Street</strong> Home<br />
Vicky Roy<br />
From being a street dweller and a rag<br />
picker at the New Delhi Railway Station<br />
to a world-renowned photographer,<br />
Vicky Roy has come a long way to inspire the<br />
world and to show that however bad a life<br />
may seem, there is always something that one<br />
can do and succeed at.<br />
Roy ran away from his maternal grandparents’<br />
home in 1999 because his grandparents in<br />
West Bengal used to beat him and hardly<br />
allowed him to play outside. Upon reaching<br />
the New Delhi Railway Station, Roy knew<br />
nothing about where he would spend his<br />
night and what he will do in future until<br />
he met some street dwellers while he was<br />
crying at the station. These boys immediately<br />
recognised that he had run away from his<br />
home and need some work and shelter.<br />
“I became friends with them and started<br />
doing whatever they did for food. I started<br />
collecting used water bottles and then sold<br />
these bottles in general bogeys at the railway<br />
station,” says the photographer who exhibited<br />
his first exhibition ‘<strong>Street</strong> Dream’ based on the<br />
very life he had lived on the railway station.<br />
After working at the railway station for sixodd<br />
months, Roy found it tough to overcome<br />
the challenges at the station as police often<br />
used to beat him and his friends and decided<br />
to work as a dishwasher at a Dhaba near the<br />
Ajmeri Gate.<br />
“This phase was, perhaps, the toughest phase<br />
of my 29-year-old life as I had to get up at 5<br />
AM in the morning to cut the vegetables and<br />
would sleep after midnight after washing<br />
all the dishes with sore hands and blister<br />
all over my body,” says Roy in a telephonic<br />
conversation. “While I was struggling, I,<br />
fortunately, met a volunteer of Salaam Balak<br />
Trust who told me that at this stage of my life<br />
I should be studying and not working. After<br />
which, I resumed my studies again. When<br />
I finished 10th with a very poor score of<br />
48%, my tutor told me that I am very weak<br />
in academics so I should rather start having<br />
a formal training in any area of my interest.”<br />
Roy, who ran away from his house primarily<br />
to see what’s out there in this world, recalled<br />
a photography workshop which took place<br />
at Salaam Balak Trust. Though he didn’t<br />
participate in the workshop he could recall<br />
his friends saying that the lecturer who took<br />
the workshop was a photographer who had<br />
travelled Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Therefore,<br />
he decided to pursue <strong>Photography</strong> as his<br />
profession so that he could travel around the<br />
globe. At that time, a British photographer –<br />
Dixie Benjamin – came to shoot Salaam Balak<br />
and Roy chanced upon to learn photography<br />
from him.<br />
Roy who thought that English was<br />
indispensable to become a world-class<br />
photographer asked Dixie that how could<br />
he ever become a photographer if he knew<br />
not English language. “To this, Dixie<br />
politely replied that English is just a source<br />
of communication and there are a lot of<br />
photographers who speak Japanese, French,<br />
etc. and hence I can proudly speak Hindi as<br />
it won’t hamper my photography,’’ recalls the<br />
photographer.<br />
By then, Roy had turned eighteen and was<br />
76 Vol 8
equired to leave the Salaam Balak Trust<br />
which arranged for him the apprenticeship<br />
with the Delhi based photographer Anay<br />
Mann. “Anay Mann sir gave me a cell phone,<br />
a bike and a salary of three thousand rupees.<br />
I took a loan of twenty-eight thousand rupees<br />
from Salaam Balak and bought the Nikon<br />
F80 camera. Thus, started the journey of my<br />
dreams,” adds Roy.<br />
“While studying the photographs of great<br />
masters, I started shooting children who lived<br />
on the streets, just like I used to not too long<br />
ago. My work was noticed by the British High<br />
Commission and they sponsored my solo<br />
exhibition ‘<strong>Street</strong> Dreams’. It was showcased at<br />
India Habitat Center in 2007. The exhibition<br />
was very successful and travelled to London,<br />
South Africa and Vietnam.<br />
“After this, Ramchander Nath Foundation<br />
nominated me for an international<br />
competition in 2008, in which only 4 people<br />
from across the world were selected to shoot<br />
the reconstruction of World Trade Centre<br />
(WTC) in New York. Along with shooting<br />
of WTC, I got an opportunity to hone my<br />
skills in <strong>Photography</strong> at ICP (International<br />
Centre of <strong>Photography</strong>). These pictures were<br />
showcased at my second solo exhibition in<br />
January 2010,” says Roy about his first two<br />
exhibitions.<br />
After coming from New York, Roy started<br />
documenting his shelter life. In 2011, he<br />
along with his colleague Chandan started a<br />
photography library - Rang - to give a chance<br />
to the young photographers to learn the art of<br />
photography.<br />
“I know nothing apart from<br />
photography so I give my 100%<br />
in the only thing I know”<br />
Roy who was among the top 4 contestants<br />
in the first season of National Geographic<br />
‘Mission Cover Shot’ competition, after<br />
which, he successfully launched his first book<br />
‘Home <strong>Street</strong> Home’ at Delhi Photo Festival<br />
in 2013.<br />
In 2014, Roy was awarded the MIT Media<br />
fellowship for the outstanding work he<br />
has done in his career. From then on, the<br />
photographer started giving talks about<br />
his journey and the struggle that he had<br />
faced. Roy has now given over 300 talks at<br />
different public events including the talks at<br />
the Harvard University, TEDx and Google<br />
headquarters, through INKtalks.<br />
“I know nothing apart from photography so I<br />
give my 100% in the only thing I know,” says<br />
the photographer who was part of Forbes<br />
30 Under 30 Asia 2016 list. “I have recently<br />
registered my trust as ‘<strong>Street</strong> Dream Trust’ for<br />
the enthusiastic young generation who wants<br />
to learn the art of photography. Through<br />
this trust, I want to establish the biggest<br />
photography library in India.”<br />
“I don’t really like reading books, but I believe<br />
that reading about the areas one is shooting is<br />
a way by which one can take their photography<br />
to a whole new level because by reading one<br />
gets to know about every minute detail that’s<br />
out there and can enjoy even more,” says Roy<br />
in his message to the youth.<br />
Roy, whose upcoming exhibition will be<br />
launched on 1st Dec’17 at Vadhera Art<br />
Gallery believes that we should never sit<br />
at home for more than 2-3 days whenever<br />
there’s a problem in our life. Because, at the<br />
end of the day, it’s our work which will take us<br />
to a new level, not the time wasted in thinking<br />
about the problems.<br />
Rahul Batra RB<br />
rahul@chiiz.com<br />
Rahul is a culture based writer who left<br />
his engineering job to pursue a career in<br />
writing. He wishes to write a psychological<br />
bestseller one day.<br />
Pankaj,17,’playing’ football, DMRC home, Tees Hazari<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 58mm F/4 1/2s ISO640
Locker room, Apna Ghar, Paharganj<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 50mm F/8 1/2s ISO400<br />
Nawab,17,DMRC home,Tees Hazari, Now works with Teamwork Films<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 40mm F/5 0.6s ISO400<br />
Children from the nearby slum of Sadar Bazar Station<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/10 1/50s ISO100<br />
Taking a bath, DMRC home, Tees Hazari<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 35mm F/4 1/125 ISO500<br />
World Trade Center 2009<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/10 1/50s ISO100
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 35mm F/11 1/400 ISO200<br />
This Scarred Land:<br />
New Mountainscapes<br />
These new black and white photographs by Vicky Roy overturn all<br />
expectations of landscape photography. Made entirely in Himachal<br />
Pradesh, they are remarkable documents of the hand of man on what<br />
was ‘Dev Bhumi’ – a sacred land. Instead, we are presented with a vision of a<br />
scarred land, where man and machine are gouging the earth on a Himalayan<br />
scale. These are no landscapes of Nainsukh or Roerich – vistas of romance or<br />
mystical power. These are seen through the eyes of a cool modernist using the<br />
tool of the still camera.<br />
Capturing the rush to development, Vicky sees the torment of the majestic<br />
mountains, rocks, rivers and valleys, as they are assaulted by diesel-spewing<br />
machines. From a distance, we are like lines of ants crossing the forest floor.<br />
The Himalayas were most memorably photographed by Samuel Bourne in the<br />
19th Century. These photographs are updates on those pristine vistas. The<br />
unshackled results of the power of technology which is denuding the forests<br />
and pastures have been framed with a modernist gaze – sharp, unsentimental,<br />
and with their own terrifying beauty. These are the harbingers of the Kedarnath<br />
deluge. These truly are the landscapes of contemporary India.<br />
by Vicky Roy<br />
At Vadehra Art Gallery<br />
1st December<br />
Curated by Ram Rahman<br />
Vol 8<br />
79
Old is Gold<br />
The Burning Monk- Malcolm Browne<br />
Slowly We Unfurl, As A Lotus Flower<br />
Vietnam, 11th June, 1963: Known as<br />
French IndoChina to most of the<br />
Western world and largely dismissed<br />
as being another Buddhist country in<br />
continental South East Asia, Vietnam was on<br />
the brink of becoming the focal point of the<br />
most prolific phase of the Cold War. It was<br />
a powder keg lying in wait for that one stray<br />
spark to light a fire so devastatingly large that<br />
the whole world would have to finally turn<br />
its attention Eastward. This spark, as it were,<br />
arguably came in the form of a monk burning<br />
himself to death in the middle of a busy<br />
Saigon street. This act of self-immolation,<br />
protesting the persecution of Buddhists by<br />
the South Vietnamese government (led by<br />
Ngô Ðính Diêm), was captured poignantly<br />
in Malcolm Browne’s Pulitzer prize-winning<br />
“photograph of a monk on fire”. It was<br />
circulated widely across the world and<br />
brought attention to the atrocities facilitated<br />
by the Diêm regime. Eventually, Diêm was<br />
ousted in a US-aided coup and thus began<br />
the brutal civil war between the USSR-backed<br />
communist Vietcong Cong in the North and<br />
the US-backed Republic of South Vietnam in<br />
the South. The Vietnam War in itself painted<br />
an indelible picture of the futility of war and<br />
consequences of self-serving actions; more<br />
so, if contrasted with the picture of a man<br />
sitting lotus-style protesting the destruction<br />
of his homeland as he slowly disintegrated<br />
into the flames that surrounded him.<br />
Browne, a photojournalist working with<br />
the Associated Press, had been working in<br />
Vietnam for a couple of years prior to the<br />
events of 1963. Sensing the volatility of the<br />
region, he sought to capture the incipient<br />
tension between the people and their<br />
government. At the forefront of this rising<br />
wave of mistrust were the monks. Browne<br />
was greatly interested in documenting the<br />
monks as they planned to protest against the<br />
regime. He had even been on friendly terms<br />
with quite a few of them.<br />
“Along about springtime (1963), the monks<br />
began to hint that they were going to pull off<br />
something spectacular by way of protest–and<br />
that would most likely be a disembowelment<br />
of one of the monks or an immolation. And<br />
either way, it was something we had to pay<br />
attention to.” said Browne upon being asked<br />
how he happened to be there to capture the<br />
event. On the morning of the 11th of June,<br />
that particular Saigon street was completely<br />
taken over by bystanders. Nuns and monks<br />
engaged in reciting a funeral chant. A car<br />
approached and three monks emerged- one<br />
of them significantly older, leaning on two<br />
of his younger disciples for support as he<br />
walked to the middle of the street and sat<br />
down legs folded, back straight. The younger<br />
monks brought out canisters of petrol and<br />
doused him and then finally, the older monk,<br />
Thích Quång Ðúc, lit a match and dropped<br />
it in his lap. Within seconds he was engulfed<br />
in a human-sized inferno that gradually<br />
proceeded to get taller as onlookers watched<br />
with restrained horror. Browne was the only<br />
foreign photographer there and he knew he<br />
had to capture the moment and get it out to<br />
Associated Press as fast as he could. So he<br />
shot continuously, each a few seconds apart to<br />
create a sort of time-lapse of death by burning<br />
alive.<br />
The monochrome flames don’t lack the sense<br />
of verisimilitude their modern, colorful<br />
counterparts would have had. In fact, the<br />
black and white scheme adds to the sense<br />
of unease and the general plaintive tone of<br />
photograph. It gets the message across without<br />
being too graphic. And this is primarily<br />
because of Browne’s skilful composition.<br />
Browne managed to capture both peaceful<br />
martyrdom and the abject fear of those who<br />
have to witness it. Sometimes, it is difficult to<br />
gauge who the real subject is.<br />
But what seems most disconcerting about<br />
the picture is the apparent calmness of the<br />
monk as he is slowly being engulfed by the<br />
towering flames. Thích Quång Ðúc sits<br />
still, almost meditative, as the fire seeks to<br />
consume him whole. It is difficult to imagine<br />
the agonizing pain he might have felt in his<br />
final moments. And the pain his peers might<br />
have felt acting as enablers, aiding his selfsacrifice<br />
to bring attention to an even greater<br />
plight. The photograph seems almost surreal;<br />
a study of contrasts. Peace versus violence.<br />
Exploitation versus resilience. Power versus<br />
helplessness. Silence versus the wails around<br />
him. In an age when violence spawns greater<br />
acts of violence, it is imperative to note the<br />
significance of a monk calmly inflicting pain<br />
on himself to put an end to this vicious cycle<br />
of death and destruction.<br />
Maybe this event was a foretelling of what was<br />
to come. Perhaps Ðúc’s wistful composure<br />
in the midst of being ravaged by a force<br />
greater than himself was a glaringly prescient<br />
reflection of the state of his homeland in the<br />
years to come; a nation caught between the<br />
crossfire of opposing political strategies and<br />
futile war efforts while trying to hold on to<br />
centuries of accumulated cultural identities.<br />
Thích Quång Ðúc died within ten minutes of<br />
lighting the match. As he burned, he did not<br />
move a muscle and he did not cry out, he sat<br />
in the lotus position for as long as he could.<br />
Later, his body was re- cremated during his<br />
official funeral, but miraculously, Ðúc’s heart<br />
remained intact. It was subsequently declared<br />
a bodhisattva by Vietnamese Buddhists<br />
and is revered as a symbol of compassion.<br />
Malcolm Browne was awarded the Pulitzer<br />
Prize for International Reporting as well as<br />
the World Press Photo of the Year in 1963.<br />
“No news picture in history has generated<br />
so much emotion around the world as that<br />
one.” President Kennedy said of Browne’s<br />
photograph. Browne died on August 27th,<br />
2012 from Parkinson’s disease. He was 81.<br />
Both Browne and Ðúc happened to cross<br />
each other’s paths one summer’s day in<br />
1963, one of whom was wholly unaware<br />
of the other as it was the day he would die.<br />
And yet both of them have left legacies that<br />
are entirely different but almost equally<br />
important; centred around that crowded<br />
Saigon intersection.<br />
Note: The Lotus is the national flower of<br />
Vietnam. It signifies purity, commitment and<br />
optimism of the future. The lotus is often used<br />
as the symbol of Vietnam. The lotus is also<br />
sacred in Buddhism.<br />
Shreeja Chatterjee<br />
shreeja@chiiz.com<br />
Shreeja Chatterjee is currently a student of<br />
English Literature. She sees herself as an<br />
intrepid Ad mogul, akin to Don Draper, in the<br />
near future. Decidedly a pop culture addict,<br />
she has to watch two movies a day to get<br />
her bearings.<br />
80 Vol 8
Canon EOS 5DS R 24mm F/10 1/160s ISO100<br />
Marvels of the Time<br />
Frame with ISA EBRAHIM<br />
Isa Ebrahim, born in 1979 in Bahrain, began<br />
his journey with photography in 1993 as a<br />
hobby before it regulated in journalism in<br />
1999.<br />
He has 600 awards from 81 different<br />
works in 255 international photo contest<br />
in 46 countries to his name. Moreover, he<br />
is also the 1st Arab photographer who got<br />
the title of “Master Photographer of FIAP”<br />
(MFIAP) and title of Excellence FIAP Gold<br />
(EFIAP/g) of the International Federation<br />
of Photographic Art. Also he got other titles<br />
such as Excellence (EPSA) of the American<br />
Society of <strong>Photography</strong> and GPU Crown 4,<br />
GPU Aphrodite and GPU VIP2 Distinctions<br />
from Global Photographic Union. DIMAS<br />
FAJAR from CHIIZ gets in talks with Mr. ISA<br />
EBRAHIM and learns for the secrets of street<br />
photography from the Master Photographer<br />
himself.<br />
Your artwork is something that connects<br />
the viewer to their roots or their history.<br />
Is it always the motive behind your shoots,<br />
please comment ?<br />
Yes, it is my job to portray the lives of people<br />
and highlight their cultures and customs and<br />
searching for stories and everything that is<br />
different and distinctive.<br />
What do you look in your shots and what do<br />
you expect your subjects to be or to portray<br />
when you are shooting them?<br />
Capturing the people in transit is different<br />
from place to place and also the approach,<br />
some of them accept photography with a<br />
smile and some of them counts the number<br />
of the camera shots in order to get money in<br />
return, and some of them do not react and do<br />
not speak because of language differences.<br />
Please share a memory that you have<br />
connected to photography that proved to be<br />
a very important lesson in your professional<br />
career?<br />
Being a former photo journalist, I had many<br />
experiences that I am proud of, especially<br />
to help poor people and spread their needs<br />
and suffering in the newspapers which leads<br />
to getting help from the concerned and<br />
decision-makers.<br />
When you go out on a shoot or a walk, do<br />
you carry an idea for what to shoot from<br />
the starting or you formulate it as the walk<br />
goes?<br />
Sometimes I put in my mind some ideas and<br />
apply them, and my style is more in dealing<br />
with the subject and exploit the topics around<br />
them.<br />
A piece of advice that would help upcoming<br />
and amateur photographers in the field to<br />
come up with more creative ideas in the<br />
genre?<br />
My advice to beginners not only look at the<br />
subject, but also focus beyond and take the<br />
advantage of the location around it.<br />
Dimas Fajar<br />
dimas@chiiz.com<br />
Dimas loves to explore new places and<br />
make friends since childhood. He is a keen<br />
observer and love to learn and develop his<br />
existing skills. For him, learning something<br />
make one’s life more valuable in the future.<br />
Vol 8<br />
81
Omen<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 200mm F/5.6 1/100s ISO640
Central Black<br />
NIKON D300S 180mm F/6.3 1/250s ISO400<br />
White Rose<br />
Canon EOS-1D X 125mm F/2.8 1/160s ISO1600
Reaching the Goal<br />
Canon EOS 7D 90mm F/5.6 1/320s ISO250<br />
Impression Lijang<br />
Canon EOS-1D X 43mm F/8 1/800s ISO400
Gaze<br />
Canon EOS-1D Mark III 27mm F/4.5 1/80s ISO400<br />
Jodhpur Family<br />
Canon EOS-1D X 27mm F/7.1 1/400s ISO400
Model of the Month<br />
Sheela Tiruchi<br />
Sheela Tiruchi makes her presence felt<br />
with a svelte silhouette and smouldering<br />
gaze. A Berlin native, she completed<br />
MBA in Public Management and trained in<br />
Latin and Indian classical dance. She then<br />
moved to Mumbai to pursue Bollywood<br />
dance choreography. But life had other things<br />
in store and modeling became her bread<br />
and butter. She gets chatty with PRATEEK<br />
KASHYAP from <strong>Chiiz</strong>.<br />
First of all, a very big congratulations on <br />
your successful career. Can you map a brief <br />
background on how you entered the fashion <br />
world?<br />
I was 15 when my neighbour asked my<br />
mother why she wouldn’t send me to a model<br />
agency. She took her advice and got me in<br />
touch with a big agency back in Berlin. They<br />
loved my look, because I was the only Indian<br />
then. My first assignment was for Falke, the<br />
stockings brand. Soon I started shooting for<br />
brands like DHL, German Railways, Loreal<br />
and many more. My passion for Bollywood<br />
dance and the whole Indian glamour made<br />
me curious towards it and being born and<br />
brought up in Germany, I always wanted to<br />
know more about my roots. After completing<br />
my MBA and having lead a dance school in<br />
Berlin, I moved to Mumbai in 2012. I debuted<br />
at Lakme Fashion Week followed by Wills<br />
India Fashion Week with my first ever ramp<br />
walk for Anand Kabra, where Marc Robinson<br />
was the show director. I love India and I<br />
respect it today with my whole heart because<br />
it has given me a great modeling career and it<br />
also has sent me to many many places around<br />
the world. One of them was representing the<br />
Indian team at the Formula1 in Monaco.<br />
We all have heard that the glamour of the <br />
fashion world is just a part of a showcase <br />
and the reality differs from it. Is it so now <br />
also, or things are changing?<br />
Every industry has challenges. So has the<br />
fashion world. You have to prove yourself.<br />
The only difference is the type of challenges<br />
one has to face. Glamour is a very big<br />
part of it but it all comes down to hard<br />
work, determination, perseverance and<br />
commitment. The only change is that more<br />
people want to do fashion, irrespective of<br />
designers, models or backend technicians. It<br />
is a lot of fun also and you get to see many<br />
new things and meet different personalities.<br />
It is a very competitive market and you have<br />
to be at your best all the time. You also need<br />
to know how to sell yourself. Personally I feel<br />
India has the best fashion show productions.<br />
What were the challenges that you faced <br />
while advancing through the fashion<br />
industry?<br />
Making it big is such a relative thing to say.<br />
When does one know if you made it big or<br />
not? There is no such thing. It’s all about how<br />
comfortable you are in your work space. To get<br />
into the fashion circuit and getting noticed by<br />
people is one thing. Sustaining in the industry<br />
is the biggest challenge and not knowing<br />
what your next project is can be frustrating<br />
at times, and it can pose as a challenge. But<br />
there is a solution to everything and all I did<br />
was to keep trying. Things would work out<br />
eventually.<br />
A piece of advice you would have for the <br />
upcoming models and amateurs?<br />
I mentor new comer models. That is purely<br />
because I’m a helpful person anyway. I think<br />
it is very important to have a mentor who<br />
can help you get through until you can walk<br />
alone. Just keep practising, eat the right food,<br />
work out and work on your strategy with a<br />
proper plan, about what your path is going to<br />
be. Don’t just say that you want to be a model,<br />
have a timeline set with short term goals and<br />
long term goals and work towards them.<br />
Barkha Chandra<br />
barkha@chiiz.com<br />
She is the laughter dose of Team <strong>Chiiz</strong><br />
currently rocking up the PR dept. She<br />
is always high on life and hooked to<br />
freedom.<br />
Vol 8<br />
87
Education: MBA - Public Management in Berlin<br />
Profession: Model, Dancer and Dance Instructor, Mentor and Event Planner<br />
Model Stats:<br />
Height: 5’11”<br />
Bust: 34<br />
Waist: 26<br />
Hips: 36<br />
Shoulder: 16<br />
Full sleeves: 25<br />
Thighs: 20<br />
Shoe: 38<br />
Size: S<br />
Work Profile:<br />
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Berlin<br />
L’oreal Paris - Fashion Show<br />
L’oreal TVC Berlin - Studio fix<br />
Deutsche Bank Berlin - Campaign<br />
Lakme Fashion Week - Mumbai<br />
Wills Fashion Week - Delhi<br />
Royal Fashion week - Dubai<br />
Kingfisher Formula 1 - Monaco<br />
Premier Fashion League - Chennai<br />
Kingfisher Supermodels 3 - Mumbai<br />
AP Crafts Mela Fashion Week - Tirupathi<br />
Shravan Kummar - Campaign in Hyderabad<br />
Piramal Aranya Realty - Campaign TVC mumbai<br />
Lionsgate Whiskey - Campaign in Chennai<br />
India International jewelry week - Mumbai<br />
Signature Fashion style week - Mumbai<br />
Britta Water purifier Spain - Campaign<br />
India Royal Fashion Show - Bahamas<br />
Blenders Pride Fashion Tour - India<br />
Tech Fashion Tour - Mumbai<br />
Asiana Magazine - London<br />
Pune Fashion week - Pune<br />
India Beach Week - Goa<br />
DHL Berlin - Campaign<br />
India Runway week - Delhi<br />
IIFA - Macau and Singapore<br />
Designers:<br />
Ritu Kumar<br />
Ritu Berry<br />
Neeta Lulla<br />
Rocky S<br />
Tarun Tahiliani<br />
Shivan and Narresh<br />
Anamika Khanna<br />
Abu Jhani and Sandeep Khosla<br />
Manish Malhotra<br />
James Ferreira<br />
Gaurang Shah<br />
Shravan Kummar<br />
Asmitha Marwah<br />
Anand Kabra<br />
Shivan and Narresh<br />
Shantanu and Nikhil<br />
Falguni Shane Peacock<br />
Jayanthi Ballal<br />
Ken Ferns<br />
Cristy De Cuhna<br />
Bibu Mohapatra<br />
Asif Merchant<br />
Narendra Kumar<br />
Rohit Bal<br />
Wendell Rodricks
Floral Series-1<br />
Canon EOS 6D 105mm F/11 1/125s ISO100<br />
Makeup Artist of the Month<br />
Kalpesh Joshi<br />
Kalpesh Joshi is an Indian international beauty architect<br />
based in Mumbai. He has done impressive work in<br />
Bollywood and Fashion industry, advertisements and in Bridal<br />
and Wedding Section. For <strong>Chiiz</strong>, Kalpesh shares his expertise<br />
and his knowledge with <strong>Chiiz</strong> as a successful makeup artist.<br />
What according to you is doing makeup all about?<br />
According to me, makeup is all about beauty. Just applying a<br />
few products on face is not makeup, it’s an art one needs to<br />
understand, which features to accentuate and what flaws to<br />
hide; depending on the face structure like eyes, nose, lips etc.<br />
What all it took you to reach here, please suggest<br />
something for the upcoming generation?<br />
Hard work and persistence. I would like to tell the new<br />
generation that makeup is all about your passion. So<br />
work hard and be hopelessly passionate about your job.<br />
Well, thank you for such kind words. Zareen is all about natural beauty,<br />
so it was not too much efforts to make her look that fabulous. First of all, as<br />
a makeup artist one needs to keep cool, calm, and never panic under any<br />
circumstances. If the resources are less, try and make the most out of it.<br />
His work has been featured in most of the Bollywood movies and TV<br />
dailys. There are numerous fashion shows and print campaigns<br />
to his name. You can check out his work at makeupartistindia.com.<br />
Noopur Sharma<br />
noopur@chiiz.com<br />
Noopur Sharma, is a content writer whose articles have appeared in Asian School of Media<br />
Studies newspaper and others. She has worked as a Public Relation Executive for Bang On<br />
Target PR and Media solutions, and is a blogger on social media as well.<br />
In today’s changing times, fashion industry is advancing<br />
towards more natural choices of beauty and a dynamic<br />
environment. What do you think a model or any other<br />
person should undertake to get the maximum out of it?<br />
Yes, Less is More. One needs to take care of their skin very well.<br />
A good SPF is a must since the environment is changing day<br />
by day. A model or any working women should apply at least<br />
basic kajal and lipstick just to look a little fresh and presentable.<br />
Your work with Zarine Khan in the movie ‘Veer’ was commendable.<br />
How do you suggest that a makeup artist should evolve or be<br />
dynamic, when he or she falls short of resources during shoots?<br />
Floral Series-2<br />
EOS 6D 105mm F/10 1/125s ISO100<br />
Floral Series-3<br />
Canon EOS 6D 105mm F/10 1/125s ISO100
The Black Beauty<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 58mm F/4 1/125s ISO100<br />
Galloping with the wind<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 35mm F/10 1/320s ISO100
High On Fashion<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 106mm F/5 1/320s ISO100<br />
Outlooks<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 70mm F/10 1/150s ISO100
Veiled Ballerina-1<br />
Canon EOS 550D 35mm F/10 1/125s ISO100<br />
Veiled Ballerina-3<br />
Canon EOS 550D 60mm F/10 1/125s ISO100<br />
Veiled Ballerina-2<br />
Canon EOS 550D 80mm F/10 1/125s ISO100<br />
Veiled Ballerina-4<br />
Canon EOS 550D 40mm F/10 1/125s ISO100
His and Ours<br />
Nikon D7000 45mm F/14 1/160 ISO160<br />
Low Key Fine Art and Figure Study<br />
a thin line between art and vulgarity every artist needs to maintain<br />
By Jeet Mukerjee<br />
A little boy of nine, looked down and<br />
observed how the sun efficiently plays<br />
with his shadow by varying intensities and<br />
positions. The boy grew up to be a Master<br />
in Business Administration and Information<br />
Technology Management, but the passion<br />
and curiosity never ran out. After 18 rigorous<br />
years of corporate grind, Jeet Mukerji took up<br />
Fine Art as his muse.<br />
Boudoir art in low key figure study and fine<br />
arts in the initial days was a tough task and<br />
hugely costly. The fight has been hard against<br />
the dual standards of the society and social<br />
media, and he had to face situations, wherein<br />
he was condemned and brandished by the<br />
common masses, even banned, in several<br />
occasions, from the largest social media<br />
platform of the world. The fight has been on,<br />
and as his viewers today read this article, he<br />
finds motivation in changing people’s mindset<br />
on Boudoir as an art and not vulgarity.<br />
Fine art Boudoir is mainly implied on Demure<br />
Nudity. Sensuousness of a creation in Boudoir<br />
Art encompasses a range of styles and moods<br />
of a subject’s anatomy rather than revealing<br />
it. Majority of his work will create an enigma<br />
in the mind of his viewers about the private<br />
anatomy of a subject which is artistically<br />
hidden by means of shadow casting on him/<br />
her. In his words, ‘There is a thin line between<br />
art and vulgarity and every artist needs to<br />
understand and maintain it.’ He is a staunch<br />
believer in less is beautiful when it boils down<br />
to Artistic Nudes in his creation. It is not<br />
about what he sees in his muse but what he<br />
wants his viewers to find in his creations. The<br />
postures are intelligently carved and depicted<br />
by means of effective use of light and shadow,<br />
wherein it is understood that his muse his<br />
nude, but the rest is left to the imagination.<br />
According to him, most of the creations these<br />
days, bring out everything that could have<br />
been otherwise left to imagination, and that is<br />
where a creation loses its enigma, its charm,<br />
its sensuality and artistry. Nude Art, as per<br />
him is the last level of photography along<br />
with Documentation <strong>Photography</strong>, wherein<br />
the artist needs to be socially and<br />
morally responsible while clicking that one<br />
shutter.<br />
After displaying his work in a few international<br />
forums through the electronic media, he<br />
was approached by an Art Curator and FEP<br />
honorary member from Italy, who wanted<br />
to display his art work in several forums in<br />
ROme, Paris, Zurich, Prague, Copenhagen,<br />
London, Vienna, etc. It has been a great<br />
journey for him since then, and with every<br />
passing moment he is learning the craft of<br />
Fine Art <strong>Photography</strong>.<br />
He was also fortunate enough to personally<br />
assist the Maestro of Indian and World<br />
<strong>Photography</strong>, Padmashree Shri Raghu<br />
Rai Ji in quite a few of his projects and the<br />
association is still an ongoing process. In all<br />
these years this man still clicks his images with<br />
a Medium Format NIKON D7000 Camera<br />
and does not believe in any high end gadgets<br />
of photography as he believes that it is the eye<br />
that makes the image and not the camera.<br />
Link to profile: 500px.com/jit1201<br />
Vol 8<br />
95
Cradled up her Womb<br />
D7000 42mm F/10 1/200 ISO200<br />
Wings of Power<br />
Nikon D7000 31mm F/9 1/80 ISO100
Trapped Soul<br />
Nikon D7000 24mm F/11 1/200 ISO200<br />
Hazed Flow<br />
Nikon D7000 24mm F/11 1/200 ISO200<br />
Pensive Feel<br />
Nikon D7000 46mm 24mm F/5.6 F/11 1/100 1/200 ISO200<br />
Trapped Soul<br />
Nikon D7000 25mm F/13 1/200 ISO200
Twister<br />
Nikon D7000 40mm F/11 1/80 ISO100
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